June

I admit I'm a crier. Growing up I was never very sappy or overly emotionally, but I'll tell you what - becoming a mom just plain ruined my emotional fortitude! Especially when my kids are proud of something they are doing and I get to watch them glow. For example, dance recitals! They just get me like nothing else. Seeing their tiny little selves poured into their leotards with their hair done just right! I die! They both worked so hard learning the steps in their Irish Dance class and were so excited to show us their jig. It was precious! Luckily I have the video so I can watch it again and again if I want. This is especially fantastic since I was all teary for the entire performance. They are just so special! 

After their recital they were so tired, but apparently they wanted to be near each other because I found them both asleep in Jayda's bed. 

June was also the end of 1st grade for Jayda and I got to go see the class play they put together. That's Jayda playing the role of "mother" wearing a brown wig and red apron. She did so great. Although truth be told my favorite part was when the little blonde girl (wearing red below) got such bad stage fright that she just stood there staring at the crowd and then started laughing and then started sobbing. It went on forever and it was totally awkward. Now I know this is totally unChristlike, but that little punk was the biggest sack of crap I had ever met in the form of a child. She picked on Jayda for 2 straight years and was such a major bully. I had to intervene a few times and ask the teacher to move her away from Jayda because she was just plain awful and Jayda kept coming home in tears. She actually flicked Jayda in the face super hard one day at lunch just to laugh at her and watch the kids at the table laugh at Jayda's expense. Now let's not get it twisted - I know my kids aren't perfect, but I promise you this child was a beast. So, to see her cocky self stand up there and melt like a puddle of goo was fantastic. I know I'm awful for saying it, but I'm thinking it anyway so I might as well just put it out there. Her failure made me smile (reason # 45,683 I'm gonna burn).

June also brought us Father's Day. We celebrate it every year so it probably gets old hearing me say how awesome this guy is as a father, but seriously...he rocks it. He truly is a better parent that I am in so many ways. Obviously the girls picked to be his daughter in the pre-existence because they knew how loved they'd be. He's amazing. So to shower him with love the girls made him breakfast. All by themselves. Without asking. It was a sweet surprise. So, what did they make him? Well they gave him baby yogurt, an apple, a tangerine, some wheat thing, peanuts, slightly soggy strawberries that they washed in the bathroom sink, and some left over jello jigglers from the class party. They also included a sweet note. As you can see by the below picture, he was very appreciative. 

Happy Fathers Day to this awesome daddy! 

Here's Macey fast asleep. No, she's not dreaming of riding hoses or doing gymnastics - that's just how she sleeps -  with her legs that far apart. I don't take pictures of the various therapy and doctor appointments we go to, but I wish I did. It's so easy to forget what we go through (both her and me) as time passes. Macey has what is referred to as "low muscle tone" and so she can't really sit up on her own, crawl, hold her bottle by herself, etc. So we do therapy 3 days a week.  This is on top of the twice a week Lilly is in speech therapy. It's exhausting. But worth it. We do lots of exercises and muscle building activities to help her gain more strength. Once her core is stronger everything else will take off! She's so precious. 

While in California, Macey turned one! I can't believe it's been a year she's been in our family. It really is amazing how in such a short time you forget what life was like without her. We were excited to celebrate her birthday with family. My dad, who is just the cutest and most thoughtful man ever, drop all the way to Brea to get Macey a really yummy, special birthday cake. Most kids have homemade cupcakes or a cake from Costco. But not his granddaughter! Nay - she can have nothing less than the best so that's what he got her. No matter it costs an arm and a leg and took him half a day to drive down and pick it up! It reminds me so much of my birthdays growing up. There was a bakery in Los Angeles that made the most delicious fresh strawberry cake. It was the stuff dessert dreams are made of! And sure enough - every birthday my dad would drive down to LA to get me said cake. It was always so yummy, but it was the gesture that was the real gift. It always make me feel so special. I'm so lucky...and now Macey and the other girls get the same treatment!

This is my favorite picture from the day. Look at Lilly's face!!! Buahaha. She is so ticked off that she has to give Macey her birthday toy back. And there's Jayda - just smiling and looking happy. This is so typical!!! (and Jayda is wearing the skirt I wore when I was her age. It was my favorite skirt and I wore it throughout elementary, jr. high, and high school including with green doc martins during my 8th grade year. So fun to see her love it too!)